How likely are you to stick to a program such as this? In my opinion, you are setting yourself up for binging from lack of food.

When I switched gyms, naturally I switched PT.

My PT prior had me on a low-carb diet. What a DISASTER! 2 weeks into it after losing like 5lbs, I literally boiled myself a half box of pasta and ate the whole dang thing! Oh, and then I went and bought some ice cream. Ate that in two days. Oh, and how dare I forget about the homemade cookies.

Guess who gained 7lbs that weekend?

Point is, if you restrict yourself of certain things, you are much likely to overeat when your body is STARVING.

When I broke down to my new PT at the new gym about not losing weight, she was absolutely shocked at how little calories I was eating. She asked me "Why are you not eating?"

I told her because "I wanted to lose weight."

Then she referred me to SP. I'm grateful to the HUGE changes it has provoked in my life.

I'm actually eating and I feel SOOO much better.

MRSSHANNONC1970, love your body and treat it well. These quick, fad diets will fade and if you're anything like me, you will likely gain back what you lost PLUS more. Your PT should be referring you to a more livable and healthy lifestyle, not little salads with chicken.

"Very few countries drink cows milk and yet their population is much less obese than the the USA. Explain?"

Ok so you are saying that it is the cows milk (and not the super sized portions, easily-accessible and cheap fast food, high fructose corn syrup in everything from soup to nuts, and car culture/sedentary lifestyle) that is responsible for the obesity rates of the USA compared to other countries?

Consider that cows are not plentiful in some countries (lack of space or suitable conditions for raising dairy cattle... i.e. Japan, ). Or are not considered a food animal in some countries. Also some countries lack the capacity (a fully refrigerated transportation and storage network from cow to home) to distribute milk cheaply and easily. Also consider that many *many* countries use milk *products* (from cow, goat or sheep) such as yogurt, cheese and butter. Consider that Nepalese herdsmen consume large amounts of yak milk and yak-milk products, but are not typically obese.

As far as humans being the only species to consume milk of another species - we're also the only species that cooks our food, too. Does that make cooking food wrong, just because other mammals haven't figured out how? No. And consuming dairy, similarly, is not "wrong" just because no other mammal has figured out how to milk a cow.

I'm not sure how this thread turned into a discussion about the evils of dairy ??? Other than the OP's trainer said, for unspecified reasons, to avoid it? The OP didn't suggest she wanted to go vegan, nor that she had any sensitivity to dairy, only that she's really hungry and missing her string cheese?

fresh veggies like carrots cucumbers or celery will fill you up. you also need lots of protein to fill you up too. And are you drinking enough....? not having enough to drink (water) can be fooling your body to think you are hungry.

Ok I am no expert, but it sounds like you need more calories! I echo what has already been said, "don't take nutrition advice from someone who is not qualified to give it". Clean eating seems to mean different things to different people. But why on earth should you give up dairy? If I were you I would calculate your calories. I bet they are low. But eat something first.

In the grand scheme of things, if one is at the early stages of switching to a healthier lifestyle, cliff bars are better than any typical chocolate bar. Many vegans avoid dairy for ethical reasons, however, there are so many people who cannot tolerate the lactose in cow's milk, they switch to a vegan diet for health reasons. Cow's milk is meant for baby cows not for adult humans...sorry, but that's the truth and our bodies recognize this. We are the only creatures that drink the milk of another species and there is no scientific basis to think that we need this for a healthy body. Very few countries drink cows milk and yet their population is much less obese than the the USA. Explain?

Sometimes being a little hungry is a good thing- especially if you work out hard. Your body is noticing the calorie deficiencies and is not happy about having to change!

BUT, people are right. You need to get some protein and healthy fat. I like to pair fat with raw veggies (I do a babybell cheese and lots of fresh vegetables). The fat is needed to absorb the nutrients in the veggies, and the veggies fill you up when you can only eat a small amount of the fa/protein. Nuts and veggies would be good. I add the veggies because you can't eat a lot of nuts. They are HIGH calorie. Good for you, but still, high calorie. A few don't fill me up at all, but some bulk from carrots and peppers do the trick.

If you don't eat something when you are really hungry, you might get by for a while, but one day you will rebel and eat things you don't want to. Not pretty. So, fill up on the good stuff when your body asks for food, and you can train yourself to realize that when your body whines for a snack, you will feed it veggies and nuts, not candy, chips, and soda. Keep on keepin' on!

When she told you to avoid dairy, did she also suggest a replacement for the calcium that dairy provides?

Before you start eliminating foods based on a trainer's advice (and unless she is a registered dietician, the odds are she isn't trained to provide adequate nutrition advice, and it may even be illegal for her to do so) you should make sure you are being provided with a diet that adequately meets your body's nutritional needs, rather than cutting out foods unnecessarily and leaving you short.

Most people do not need to cut out dairy to lose weight, and in fact, studies have shown that regular dairy intake is linked to lower weights.

The key to clean eating is to plan ahead so that you won't find yourself starving and without healthy options. In your current situation, if you can get to a grocery store of some kind, even a drug store that happens to sell groceries, here are some snacks that I grab if I am in a hurry but feeling low on energy due to hunger:

(1). Cliff bars ( there is at least one non-dairy option....the peanut butter?) (2). Nuts, especially almonds and pistachios (3). Hot Tea or broth based soup (I love soy latte's because they are a big protein hit and as a result, fill me up) (4). Sparkling water (natural flavors like lemon are ok). The. carbonation can help you to feel full, at least for a short while. (5). "Justin's" peanut butter individual serving packet ( this can be tricky to find so you can grab any single serving natural,peanut butter). Grab some multi grain crackers or graham crackers (even if you have to by a whole box and bring it home) and you've got yourself a great snack!

By the way, there are many reasons for avoiding dairy and you can learn more on any website dealing with "paleo" diets or "vegan" diets,

Are you getting enough calories/protein/fat for your weight and level of activity? Also, what does "clean eating" mean to you and the trainer? I've always thought of clean eating as eating real food that's as close to its natural state as possible, think few ingredients. So technically a steak, baked potato with real butter, and a mixed salad with olive oil and lemon would be clean eating, but a cheeseburger with American cheese and Wonderbread bun are not.

Are you limiting your calories further than what SparkPeople recommends?

Another thing to consider if you have been eating a lot of processed food and suddenly gone "cold turkey" to clean food is that processed food can be highly addictive. Many additives can cause serious food cravings. I have gone off wheat and gluten in the last 10 days. At first it was so hard, but the more time that passes and the longer I eat raw and/or minimally processed foods, the more satisfied I feel. Your hunger could be a combination of a number of factors. I find tracking my food for a week really helps to give me a better picture of what's going on with my nutrition and caloric intake.

And a handful of nuts with a little dark chocolate can be a real life saver!

I was told to avoid dairy and I miss my string cheese like you have NO idea!!! She didnt mention nuts I should have grabbed some when I ran out at lunch.....I did a hard hour work out at 5 am ate the oatmeal at 6:30 shake at 9 - lunch 11:30 - so hungry right now

You haven't eaten any fat today (from what I can tell). Go get some cashews, almonds, or pistachios and eat an ounce of them. See if you can't get some more substantial veggies as well (think crudite) along with some hummus. You just aren't eating enough.

It's hard to say. You shouldn't be starving. I'm a "clean" eater, and to me, that means real, whole, non-processed foods, nothing artificial. I'm never starving. I plan my days out in advance, eating 5-6 small meals and snacks. I don't ever feel starved or deprived. An apple by itself would never satisfy me, though. I have to have protein, too: string cheese, peanut butter, nuts, egg. Are you getting enough calories for your activity level? That's the only time I really would say I'm very hungry: if I've worked out heavily the night before.

Try adding veggies to your protein shake: kale or spinach both freeze well and are good in shakes and smoothies. You can't taste the spinach, but kale takes some getting used to.

Under advice of the trainer at the gym, Im clean eating during a biggest loser competition - today I had a protein shake, oatmeal, small salad and 3 oz chicken and I am STARVING and worse yet at work with limited food to me - I refuse to go get something but there is a food store near by - wondering what I can get that will tide me over till dinner, my one apple isnt going to cut it and i am the pickiest eater like ever. UGH what do I do???

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